FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Every new parent has questions about our school, some of which we have answered comprehensively below to provide clarity.

STATE FUNDING

In June 2015, our Trustees issued the following statement on State Funding for South Devon Steiner School.

"Our school's initial application for state funding failed. The reasons provided by Martin Whitlock (who was passionate about becoming state funded) werei) that we were already an established school and the Government preferred to fund new schools as academies, andii) our site does not support dual stream which was a requirement.

We decided not to pursue a second application at that time. After further thought and discussion, the teachers expressed their deep concern at the possible future threat to the curriculum as seen on the continent and other countries where the state is funding Steiner education.

In general, we support the establishment of state-funded Steiner schools, as long as one isn't set up so close geographically that it weakens the viability of our own school which can offer independence from state interference. We are very aware of the opportunities which are afforded by state funding. We therefore continuously monitor the situation and assess our chances.

However, in so doing we are also aware of how our values could be undermined by obligations attached to state funding which are not compatible with our ambitions and what we hold dear.

Among our values are also opportunities which are currently made possible by our independent status which we cannot sacrifice without giving up our particular understanding of what the Waldorf curriculum means.

That the provision of our Steiner school therefore assumes an exclusive character is in our eyes unavoidable. We accept this as an unfortunate result of our endeavour to be part of the project of developing and sustaining Waldorf education.

Now that the SSC has come out of New Zealand, taking our children from kindergarten through to university without the need for the exam based system of GCSEs and A-Levels, there is no possibility of the school being compatible with state funding."

EARLY YEARS VOUCHERS

Our Early Childhood Department took the decision some five years ago, not to introduce the Government Early Years vouchers. This decision was reviewed in 2014 and is currently under review again, to consider the new Government initiatives proposed for 2016. In line with the Trustee statement above, our Kindergarten's have so far preferred to remain independent from Government interference and funding, and it is likely this will continue.

HOT SCHOOL LUNCHES

Currently we do not offer daily hot school lunches. Instead, children are invited to bring a hearty and wholesome packed lunch which they eat with their class each day. We do have parents who provide pasties on Tuesdays and Pizzas on Wednesday's for a small charge. These can be pre-ordered via Reception and must be paid for in advance. Children can then collect their food from the outdoor kitchen on the relevant day of the week.